Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Ahead of the rainy season expected to begin next month, the Jakarta administration is getting busy in anticipation of possible flooding in the capital, dredging rivers and cleaning up garbage jamming sluice gates.
"We're also preparing bags of sand for emergency levees to anticipate overflowing sluiceways. In addition, we're also preparing rubber rafts," City Public Works Agency head Fodly Misbach said on Monday.
Fodly said the agency had allocated Rp 350 billion (US$38,500) for flood mitigation. "We have also teamed up with the City Public Order Agency to provide an early warning system for the public. We will step up our monitoring at seven sluice gate observation posts," he added.
Governor Sutiyoso warned that the heightened preparations would not guarantee that the city would be able to stave off flooding, which is an annual occurrence.
"What we can do now is to minimize the adverse impact of flooding, since we have yet to build the East Flood Canal and to reclaim the northern coast of Jakarta," Sutiyoso said.
Jakarta is prone to annual flooding with its 13 rivers, and because 40 percent of the city is below sea level.
The delay in the construction of the East Flood Canal, which is expected to ease floods by connecting five major rivers in eastern Jakarta to the West Flood Canal, has frustrated flood control efforts.
Meanwhile, the reclamation of the northern coast is expected to control the tide, another major contributor to the flooding.
In 2002, Jakarta experienced its worst flood, which affected most of its 36 districts, killing 30 people and leaving more than 300,000 people homeless. The floods also paralyzed the capital's infamous traffic for days.
"I also urge Jakartans not to build houses along riverbanks, as such structures will impede the flow of the rivers," Sutiyoso said.
City Public Order Agency head Soebagio, who is also secretary of the city's disaster mitigation agency, said the rainy season would reach its peak in December and January.
"We have identified at least 78 locations across the city that are vulnerable to flooding," he said.
The administration is organizing a week-long campaign from October 6 to October 12 to raise public awareness and participation in disaster management.